Related Jobs
-
Clinical Research Associate - CRA
Job Type: Permanent
Salary: dKK 30000.00 per annum
Location: Denmark -
Associate Manager, Clinical Operations
Job Type: Permanent
Salary: Salary on application
Location: Hungary
Novartis says meningitis B vaccine protects infants
14 May 2008
Drugmaker Novartis has announced that its meningitis B vaccine could be the first to provide broad protection to infants from the disease.
The meningococcal B strain is the main cause of meningococcal infections, which particularly affect infants, in Europe, Canada, Australia and the US.
According to the results of the trial, infants given a series of three immunisations with the vaccine from the age of two months showed an immune response that protected them from the disease.
Children given a fourth dose of the vaccine at 12 months showed an immune memory response.
"There is a strong medical need for an effective vaccine to prevent meningitis B infections, and our commitment to developing new vaccine technologies may soon provide a broad spectrum meningitis B vaccine," said Joerg Reinhardt, chief executive officer of Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics.
Novartis presented the results to the European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases at its annual meeting in Austria.
The company recently announced that its Menveo vaccine showed a better immune response against meningitis in adolescents than the older vaccine, Menactra.
Hays Pharma is a leading global pharmaceutical and biotech staffing business. To search clinical research jobs click here.